Week of February 27 - March 2

Dear Parents,

            We hope you all enjoyed your long weekend!  Students did a wonderful job getting back into our classroom routines!  Writing has been a real hit this week and students are writing and creating some amazing things!  Our class “How To” books are making their way through the classroom as each student is able to bring the book home for a night.  Please feel free to add comments to the last page of the book!  We love hearing all of the positive comments about our writing!

Here is a look at the week ahead:

Reading: Students have enjoyed looking at non-fictions books!  We have discussed how we can transition from “learning to read” to “reading to learn”!  Next week, we will explore the new information and vocabulary that we learn from reading non-fiction books.  We will also look at non-fiction text features like the index, glossary, and table of contents.  Students will revisit “schema” and discuss some things they know before reading specific non-fiction books.  We will also practice how to ask questions before and during reading, then check to see if our questions were answered at the end! 

Word Work/Handwriting: Students have been doing a wonderful job with their high frequency words!  Next week, we will be adding “s”, “es”, and “ing” to the end of words.  We will also explore deeper into plurals, contractions, and endings of words with different word games and activities.  In handwriting, we will complete a plural activity to connect with word work and we will practice forming lowercase “v” and “w”. 

Writing: It is amazing what students are creating and writing during this time!  Our “Author’s as Mentors” unit has been a favorite among many students and it’s evident that students have been very inspired by our three authors!  Next week, we will be choosing a piece to revise, edit, and publish!  Students will be able to write and illustrate like the author of their choosing while polishing their very own stories for their audiences’ enjoyment!  We cannot wait to read and hear the finished pieces!

Math: Students have been working very hard in math and have been making some great connections while working with 10 and 12!  We have been practicing math through story problems, number sentences, number combinations, and “turn-arounds”.  Next week, students will continue to explore story problems with addition and subtraction.  We will also have subtractions and addition games such as “True or False” and “5 In-A-Row with 3 Cards”.  These activities and games will allow students to become quicker with number combinations and their sums or differences.

Science: Students have really enjoyed exploring birds!  We have learned so much about their characteristics and adaptations!  Next week, we will discuss invertebrates.  Our science unit will finish up with a performance/project-based assessment during the following week. Students will be able to communicate what they have learned about the different animals in the world around us.  

We will be having our First Grade Reading Party on March 1^st at 2:00 in honor of Dr. Seuss’s birthday!  It’s not too late to volunteer to come in and read with us!  Please let your teacher know if you would like to attend as soon as possible.  Thank you and have a great weekend!

~Your first grade teachers: Miss Field and Mrs. McIntire

Persuasive Writing Letters

February 22, 2012

Dear Parents/Guardians:

RE:  Persuasive Writing Letters

Last month students worked hard writing persuasive letters to share their opinions and ideas with an audience.  Our writing area was set up as a post-office and students were eager to write letters and share their ideas.  We learned how to write a letter, address an envelope for delivery and write an opinion with at least three reasons.  We also learned about details and persuading words to gain our audience's interest and to change their mind.

Our letters are complete and have been mailed.  Recipients should receive their letter any day, if they have not already arrived. 

Here are a few things to remember once you receive the letters:

• Talk with the student about what they wrote.  This will show that you are interested, and eager, in their writing and what they have learned.  Ask students to share why they chose the topic and to express the hard work they put in to making their letter a persuasive piece. 
• Feel free to offer positive comments either orally or in writing. 
• If you would like to respond to a student in letter form, that would be wonderful.  Please send the letter to GCS at the address below*, or send the letter back to school with the student.  When students receive your response they will be encouraged to write a reply letter. We hope to keep the process going in order to teach students the importance of writing a letter and how it can be used as not only a way to persuade but as another form of communication. 

    If you have any questions or concerns please contact me at rfield@rsd6.org or at 860-491-6020.  Students are very proud of their work and eager to share!
Sincerely,

Rosanne Field
First Grade Teacher
Goshen Center School


*Goshen Center School
50 North Street
Goshen, CT  06756
ATTN:  R. Field - 1st Grade

Read Across America

READING ACROSS AMERICA

"You're never too old, too wacky, too wild,
to pick up a book and read to a child."   Dr. Seuss 

February 21, 2012

Dear Parents/Guardians:

We love to read in first grade!  To celebrate our love of reading, the students will keep track of the books they have read to others – and the books that are read to them.  For each book they read, they will place a popsicle stick in their pocket on the classroom board in our reading area.  Once they have five sticks, they will draw a tally mark on the bulletin board display, created by the children, outside our classroom.

The purpose is to motivate students to read and to develop a love of reading.  Our focus is on enjoyment of the task, not the number of books read. 
Attached is a sheet of book tickets that should be cut apart to help in recording the books your child has read at home.  Please send tickets in with your child as they complete books.  There is no need to keep track of the books that are sent home from school.  We will record those here at school.
Please contact me if you have any questions, or would like to come in and read one day to our class.

Sincerely,

Rosanne Field

*Please contact me if you need more tickets!*

Week of February 20-24

Dear Parents,

We had a very busy week celebrating the 100th day of school and Valentine’s Day.  Students enjoyed center activities where we were able to count up to 100, practice vowel sounds with Valentines, write our Valentine a letter, and much more!  There will be no school on Monday, February 20, in honor of Presidents' Day.  Our next sharing assembly is on Friday, February 24 at 2:15 in the gym.  We hope to see you all there!

Here is a look at the week ahead:

Reading: This week we learned what inferring means and how we can use inferring when reading to gain a better understanding of our stories.  We also explored inferring with poems and short stories, and predicting events before and during reading.  Students are now able to infer with their own books during independent reading time.  Next week we will explore fiction and non-fiction books, discuss the difference between the categories and sort books that fit each category. 

Word Work/Handwriting: Next week, we will wrap up vowel discussions and move into high frequency word activities and recognizing words that go together.  We will begin by playing “Follow the Path” in groups to help us recognize and read sight words: ‘they’, ‘see’, ‘went’, ‘from’, ‘were’, ‘there’, and ‘said’.  A game of memory will be used to work on concentration of the high frequency words as well as others on our word wall.  By the end of the week, students will learn the proper formation of lowercase letter ‘s’ and review letters ‘c’ and ‘o’ from this past week. Our week will end with sorting words by their meaning. 

Writing: Students have been very excited about our new writing unit “Authors as Mentors”.  Students have read Lois Elhert, Cynthia Rylant, and Arnold Lobel books and can recognize their similarities and differences.  Next week, students will begin collecting pieces.  We will use what we know about each author and their books to help guide us in composing each piece of writing.  Many students are eager to begin writing chapter books with talking animals, like Arnold Lobel!

Math: Students have enjoyed exploring the number ten through tens-frames, quick images, “Tens Go-Fish”, and story problems.  They have worked hard to find combinations of ten in groups and individually.  Next week, we will take what we learned and begin solving story problems with missing parts, playing dot addition, and revisiting a familiar game called How Many of Each. 

Science: Students loved our bird discussions!  We were able to highlight a long list of things we know about birds and what would we like to learn over the next few weeks. Videos and books will be used to add real-life experience during our study of birds.  By the end of the week children will be able to discuss characteristics of a bird, their habitats, and what they need to survive.  Labeling a bird diagram will be used to show the body parts that help birds stay alive.

We hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

~Your first grade teachers: Miss Field and Mrs. McIntire

Week of February 13-17

Dear Parents,              

We had a very busy week this week and the students have, yet again, done a wonderful job!  We had our Unit 5 math assessment, our second writing prompt, and we have started new units in writing and math!  Next week, we will be celebrating the 100^th day of school on Monday and Valentine’s Day on Tuesday.  There will be fun center activities during those days.  Notices with more information about both celebrations will be sent home with students.

Here is a look at the week ahead:

Reading: We have been learning what inferring means and how we can use inferring when we are reading to gain a better understanding of our stories. We will continue to explore inferring while reviewing games, pictures, and big books.  We will read poetry and short stories to infer themes and morals.  Students will also investigate how they can infer about the characters in a story.  We will look at character traits and their actions.  We will also practice predicting the events to come before and during reading.

Word Work/Handwriting: Next week, we will continue our vowel discussions.  Students have explored long and short “a”, “e”, and “i” vowel words.  Next week, students will explore and sort words with long and short “o” and “u” vowel words.  Students will also be taking another look at some common word families like –an, -ake, -ate, -ay, -and, and –at.  In handwriting, students will practice forming lowercase letters.  We will start with lower case “o” and “c”.  Students who need a little extra reinforcement with uppercase letters will be able to work with the teacher in a small group or one-to-one setting.

Writing: Students are very excited to start our new writing unit; “Authors as Mentors”!  Students are very familiar with the three authors and have read many of their books.  We have explored Lois Elhert and her craft of writing and illustrating.  Students enjoy her large font and collage-type illustrations!  Students will be exploring the writing styles of Cynthia Rylant and Arnold Lobel, as well, and we will be comparing and contrasting all three authors.  Students will have a chance to write and illustrate like each author before choosing an author as a mentor for their publishing pieces. 

Math: We kicked off Unit 6 with great success!  Next week, students will be investigating the number 10 with different games and connections.  Students will be working with groups of 10 during our math centers on Monday to celebrate our 100^th day of school!  Students will be able to make connections between 10 and 100 while sorting and grouping 100 objects.  Students will also explore the number 10 through tens-frames, quick images, “Tens Go-Fish”, and story problems.

Science: Students loved our reptile discussions!  We are able to identify and describe reptiles while also noting the differences between reptiles and amphibians!  Students are making some great connections week to week as we explore all the animal groups!  Next week, we will learn about birds!  We will be looking at videos and reading books about birds.  Students will learn the characteristics of birds, where they live, how they move, what they eat, and their adaptations to help them survive. 

We hope you all have a wonderful weekend!                                                         

~Your first grade teachers: Miss Field and Mrs. McIntire

Week of February 6 - 10

Dear Parents,

February is finally here and we are looking forward to a month full of events and new learning!  In the upcoming month we will celebrate the 100th day of school, President’s Day, and Valentine’s Day.  More information for each event will be sent home.

 

Here is a look at what we will work on next week:

Reading: We have been learning the meaning of inferring and how we can use inferring when we are reading to gain a better understanding of our stories. Students are beginning to use inferring before, during, and after reading.  Next week we will continue to practice inferring by using just the front cover of books and pictures during our picture walks.  We will begin inferring when thinking about the theme, moral, and author’s message in each story we read.  Games, riddles, and wordless books, will be used to practice!

Word Work/Handwriting: Next week we will review word parts, explore new ending blends, along with long and short vowel sounds.  Ending blends we already know will be used to help create new words.  Long and short vowel sounds ‘a’, ‘e’, and ‘i’, will be introduced using games, poems, and sorting activities.  For handwriting, a review of where to start each letter, writing capital letters, and our first and last names will begin our week.  Student handwriting will be assessed with an activity requiring students to ‘sign in’ when they come into school in the morning. Ask students to show you how they can write their full names!   

Writing: Students did an amazing job with their persuasive writing!  Letters have been mailed and should arrive in the mail any day.  Next week we will move into our next writing unit, Using Author’s as Mentors.  In this unit students will explore three main authors to learn about their amazing creations.  Students will examine each author’s work to learn how they wrote each piece, their biography, and how they are unique and different from other authors.  The authors we will be studying are Lois Elhert, Arnold Lobel, and Cynthia Rylant.  Lois Elhert and Arnold Lobel will begin our study. We will read many of their pieces as well as compare and contrast their styles through graphic organizers and even exploration of their websites.   Students will then have a chance to write and illustrate like each author! 

Math: Students enjoyed measuring and solving story problems that compare measurements.  Next week our fractions unit will conclude with a review and our end of the unit assessment.  From there our next unit, Number Games and Crayon Puzzles, focusing on number combinations along with addition and subtraction will begin.  We will explore different combinations of ten through games and story problems. 

Science: Students have learned so much about amphibians and are eager to move into the next animal group, reptiles!  Next week we will begin by sharing what we already know about reptiles and what we would like to learn.   Books and videos will be used to discover what a reptile is and how it is alike and different from amphibians, mammals, and fish.   A definition of reptiles will be created and students will create a list of reptiles they know and begin to make connections to reptiles they have seen.  By the middle of the week picture sorts and discussions of each reptile, their habitat, and what they need to survive will occur.  

We hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

~Your first grade teachers: Miss Field and Mrs. McIntire

Happy Groundhog Day!



http://gigglepotz.com/2011/01/22/groundhog-day-worksheets-2/dj-groundhog/

Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow today.

6 more weeks of winter!